••• employee research
No love affair
Global study examines job satisfaction; U.S. employees polarized
The U.S. isn’t the best country in which to be employed but it’s also not the worst – especially if you’re well-paid, according to research from Monster.com and New York research company GfK comparing country-level job satisfaction. U.S. workers’ satisfaction falls exactly in the middle of the seven countries surveyed, though almost one-third of Americans really love or really hate their jobs and salary seemingly has everything to do with it.
But before diving into the U.S. findings, let’s take a look at the global trends. When asked about their jobs, 64 percent of Canadians say that they love it or like it a lot and only 7 percent say they don’t like it or that they hate it, followed by the Netherlands (57 percent love it or like it a lot; 7 percent don’t like it or hate it); India (55 percent and 5 percent, respectively); the U.S. (53 percent and 15 percent); the U.K. (46 percent and 12 percent); France (43 percent and 9 percent); and Germany (34 percent and 10 percent).
Five percent of workers in India claimed to dislike/hate their jobs, while Canada and Netherlands tied for second (both at 7 percent). Though just over half of the U.S. workers enjoy their work, 15 percent didn’t like or hated it – the highest among all surveyed countries. The U.K. was a close second at 12 percent.
Twenty-two percent of Americans love their jobs so much they would do them for free, compared to 11 percent of Brits who say the same. Just under half of French workers like their job only well enough for now, while 9 percent don’t like or hate their current role. Three percent of Dutch workers truly hate their jobs but think it’s a necessary evil. More than half of German workers (54 percent) like their job only well enough for now and a mere 5 percent truly love their jobs.
“What is striking about the findings is that the strength of a country’s labor market doesn’t necessarily correlate with workforce contentment. While workers in challenged markets may have had fewer opportunities to advance in terms of promotions or salary during the recent downturn, it has not necessarily affected their happiness,” says Chris Moessner, vice president, public affairs, GfK. “Clearly there are many variables when it comes to job satisfaction. For example, Canada and Germany have enjoyed buoyant labor markets yet they lie at completely different ends of the happiness spectrum, some of which could be driven by broader cultural differences between the two countries. More generally though, workers internationally want more out of their work and seem to have just settled for their current jobs.”
A closer look at the U.S. findings reinforces this. When asked “Which of the following best describes how much you love your current job?" 22 percent love it and would do it for free; 31 percent like it a lot but could like it more; 31 percent like it well enough for now; 6 percent think they could do better; and 10 percent don’t love it at all but see it as a necessary evil.
America’s lowest-paid are the most likely to be unhappy at work, with 21 percent of workers paid under $50,000 confessing that they dislike or hate their jobs. In contrast, only 10 percent of those earning over $50,000 feel as negatively about their jobs and 63 percent of higher-earners say they love or like their jobs a lot.
www.gfk.com/us
••• advertising research
Where are we?
Multigen families spend big but feel absent from advertising
In recent years, it’s become clear that the word “family” doesn’t have to mean a mother, father and 2.5 children. Some families include two same-sex parents or are multigenerational, where grandparents have a bigger role in raising their grandchildren, and these new families translate to big bucks for retailers and marketers.
A study from Chicago research company Mintel found that multigenerational families are more likely than all parents surveyed to say they have increased spending on their kids in each of the categories considered but half wish families like theirs were better represented in TV and print ads. What’s more, 35 percent of multigenerational households agree that seeing families like theirs in advertisements encourages them to buy products, compared to 29 percent of all parents surveyed.
Sixty percent of multigenerational parents are spending more on groceries for children this year compared to last and 51 percent are doling out more cash for clothing and accessories. Meanwhile, 43 percent increased their spending on footwear for children this year and 40 percent are spending more for personal care products. In addition to groceries and clothing, 58 percent of multigenerational parents say they sometimes spend more than they should on non-essential items for their children and 33 percent are willing to spend more on their children if it means keeping up with the latest trends.
“Brands that feature non-traditional families in their ads and programs are the most likely to show they acknowledge – and embrace – the changing scope of family and should consider their needs in any type of product or service promotions, especially considering their comparative spending power,” says Gretchen Grabowski, travel and leisure analyst at Mintel.
www.mintel.com
••• social media research
Social media success stories
10 retailers whose social media efforts are paying off
We all know by now that having a presence on social media is an integral part of a brand’s identity and personality. With Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr and more, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to social media marketing but there are a few things that work well – no matter who you are.
Seattle research company Blueocean Marketing Intelligence’s 2013 Social Media Effectiveness Index (SEI) for Retailers found that the retailers with the most impactful social media presence vary in industry – from AutoZone to Walmart to Ikea to Amazon – but their strategies do share some common threads: Top SEI companies utilize virtual and traditional word-of-mouth marketing, offer digital discounts or interactive contests, promote an omnichannel presence and integrate their social media efforts into their CRM system.
SEI is a global study designed to assess the business impact of top retailers’ social media efforts. It found retail brands with positive scores across multiple social media dimensions have the greatest potential for market leadership and influence over customer experiences. Blueocean captured conversations on social networks and online communities and correlated their impact with key business metrics, including advocacy, revenue and brand value. It also measured business-to-consumer interactions in social media, including how top influencers on Twitter and engagement on Facebook drive site visitors and purchase behavior.
The following brands comprise the 2013 top 10 SEI Retail:
- AutoZone
- BJ’s Wholesale Club
- Walmart
- Costco
- Walgreens
- IKEA
- Bed Bath & Beyond
- Amazon.com
- Ralphs
- Dollar Tree
••• shopper insights
Ignoring apps
Consumers favor retailer Web sites over specific apps
Consumers go everywhere and can do just about everything on their smartphones and shopping is no exception. But retailers may be wise to focus their energies on creating a mobile-friendly user experience on their Web sites and forgo smartphone apps altogether.
According to a study from Port Washington, N.Y., research company The NPD Group, nearly 75 percent of smartphone owners use their device as part of their overall shopping experience and a large part of this shopping experience plays out on retailers’ Web sites rather than on store-specific apps. Only 57 percent of consumers are accessing retailers’ apps to enhance their shopping experience.
Amazon, Walmart, Target and Best Buy all have Web sites that are outpacing app-usage but eBay stands out in that its app is vastly more popular among mobile users than its Web site.
According to NPD, just three months after downloading a retailer’s app on their phones, 75 percent of consumers don’t even use it once a month and only one-third of shoppers are accessing and utilizing the retailer apps in the physical stores. A large majority of app and Web site use is occurring in consumers’ homes.
“The fact that nearly 94 percent of consumers are shopping on their phones from home rather than in-store suggests that engagement on their smartphone is more of an alternative for online shopping rather than a showrooming tool,” says Eddie Hold, vice president, connected intelligence, at NPD.
www.npd.com
••• restaurants
Saving money, eating better
Health surpasses finances as No. 1 reason consumers plan to dine out less
As 2013 drew to a close, the restaurant industry, overall, found itself in stable waters as margins steadied and spending returned to pre-recession levels. At press time, a record low number of restaurants were facing financial distress. Looking ahead to 2014, however, traffic and spending concerns loom as consumers plan to dine out less frequently – primarily due to a desire to eat healthier – as well as spend less per meal when dining out, according to a study from AlixPartners, a Detroit business advisory firm.
Consumers are dining out less now than in early 2013, as dining frequency dropped from an average of 5.8 meals out per month in first-quarter 2013 to only 3.8 meals out per month in third-quarter 2013. Consumers also plan to dine out even less in 2014, especially at quick-service restaurants. However, in marked contrast from five previous diner surveys where consumers cited financial concerns as the primary factor preventing them from eating out, the primary reason consumers plan to eat out less this year is because of a desire to eat healthier.
Despite the increasing importance of health to diners, the top three drivers in choosing where to eat remain food quality (i.e., taste and freshness), price and value. Consumers are planning on spending an average of 4.5 percent less per meal than they have in the past 12 months. And while the availability of healthy menu items has a significant impact on restaurant choice – 51 percent of consumers rated healthy menu options as important, very important or extremely important in choosing where to dine out – consumers are unwilling to pay extra for healthy or quality menu options.
www.alixpartners.com